Reversible inseam pocket

ABSTRACT

A reversible garment has a reversible pocket attached at a seam thereof. The pocket has a pouch formed by a long pocket piece and a short pocket piece. The curved portions of the pocket pieces are sewn together and their seam is enclosed by another seam. The flat portion of the long pocket piece is attached to the seam of the reversible garment, and centered on an opening in the garment seam. When the garment is reversed, the pocket is pulled through the seam and the pocket pouch is turned inside out, so that the pocket pouch is accessible from the opening in the garment seam, whether the garment is worn with its front side as the outside or its back side as the outside.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates clothing, and more particularly, is directed to a reversible pocket having a pocket pouch that can be pulled through an opening on a seam.

Reversible clothing typically has pockets that enable the contents of the pocket to be accessed only from one side. That is, reversible pockets are generally not provided even on reversible clothing. Accordingly, wearers of a reversible garment usually lose the convenience of having pockets that reverse with the clothing.

Thus, there is a need for an improved method of constructing a reversible pocket on a reversible garment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, there is provided a pocket for a reversible garment, comprising

According to a further aspect of the invention,

According to another aspect of the invention,

It is not intended that the invention be summarized here in its entirety. Rather, further features, aspects and advantages of the invention are set forth in or are apparent from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1D are diagrams showing how to make welt 15;

FIGS. 2, 3A-3C and 4A-4C are diagrams showing how to make reversible pocket pouch 45;

FIGS. 5A-5D are diagrams showing how to make a lip in garment 50;

FIGS. 5E-5F are diagrams showing how to connect garment 50, welt 15, reversible pocket pouch 45 and top and bottom extension pieces 60 and 61;

FIGS. 5G-5J are diagrams of a garment with a reversible pocket pouch on one side and on the reverse side; and

FIGS. 6A-6B are diagrams showing top and bottom extension pieces 60 and 61;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A reversible garment has a reversible pocket attached at a seam thereof. The pocket has a pouch formed by a long pocket piece and a short pocket piece. The curved portions of the pocket pieces are sewn together and their seam is enclosed by another seam. The flat portion of the long pocket piece is attached to the seam of the reversible garment, and centered on an opening in the garment seam. When the garment is reversed, the pocket is pulled through the seam and the pocket pouch is turned inside out, so that the pocket pouch is accessible from the opening in the garment seam, whether the garment is worn with its front side as the outside or its back side as the outside.

Construction of a reversible inseam pocket will now be described.

FIGS. 1A-1D are diagrams showing how to make welt 15.

FIG. 1A shows outer welt piece 10. FIG. 1B shows inner welt piece 11.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the outer and inner welt pieces are placed right sides together and sewn along both short sides and a long side with stitching 12.

As shown in FIG. 1D, the sewn welt pieces are turned inside out to form welt 15.

In some embodiments, instead of two welt pieces, a single piece of fabric is used and simply folded in the center of its long side, and then sewn along its short sides and turned inside out to form welt 15.

If the fabric has edges that do not fray, such as leather, welt 15 may have exposed edges along the short sides. Alternatively, even if the fabric frays, the edges may be left visible as a design choice. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that these alternatives are possible for all pieces of the present reversible inseam pocket.

FIGS. 2, 3A-3C and 4A-4C are diagrams showing how to make reversible pocket pouch 45.

FIG. 2 shows pocket band 20 as being a rectangular piece of fabric. In some embodiments, instead of a pocket band, the straight portion of the perimeter of short pocket 30 is simply folded under.

FIG. 3A shows short pocket 30. FIG. 4A shows long pocket 40. Short pocket 30 has a perimeter with a curved portion and a straight portion. Long pocket 40 has a perimeter with a curved portion and a straight portion, similar to short pocket 30. The curved portion of the perimeter of long pocket 40 has straight extensions forming vertices with the straight portion of the perimeter of long pocket 40.

FIG. 3B shows pocket band 20 placed on short pocket 30, right sides together, so that the flat portion of the perimeter of short pocket 30 is aligned with a long edge of pocket band 20. Stitching 31 fastens the long edge of pocket band 20 to the flat portion of the perimeter of short pocket 30.

FIG. 3C shows the fastening seam between pocket band 20 and short pocket 30 turned inside out. The unsewn long edge of pocket band 20 is turned under. Stitching 21 secures the turned under long edge of pocket band 20 to short pocket 30, in a manner such that the flat portion of the perimeter of short pocket 30 is enclosed no matter which side of short pocket 30 ends up on the outside of a to-be-formed pocket pouch.

FIG. 4B shows short pocket 30 placed on long pocket 40, right sides together, so that the curved portions of the perimeters of pockets 30 and 40 are aligned. Stitching 32 fastens the curved portions of the perimeters of pockets 30 and 40 together. Extension portions 41 and 42 of the perimeter of long pocket 40 are finished using whip stitching or other suitable seam finishing technique.

FIG. 4C shows the fastening seam between the curved portions of pockets 30 and 40 turned inside out. Extension portions 41 and 42 are folded. Stitching 43 along the inside perimeter of the curved portions encloses the raw edges of the seam, forming a so-called french seam, thereby forming reversible pocket pouch 45.

A shaded arrow in FIG. 4C indicates that an opening is formed by the straight edge of short pocket 30 resting on the body of long pocket 40.

FIGS. 5A-5D are diagrams showing how to make a finished lip in garment 50.

FIG. 5A is a front view of garment piece 50 having unfinished lip 51 as a rectangular protrusion from an edge of garment piece 50 that is to be constructed with a reversible inseam pocket.

FIG. 5B shows cuts 52 and 53 made in garment piece 50, extending the edges of lip 51 to the depth of a seam allowance.

FIG. 5C is a front view of garment piece 50 showing opening 55 along the edge of garment piece 50 made when lip 51 is folded to the back side of garment piece 50.

FIG. 5D is a back view of garment piece 50 showing that lip 51 has been folded to the back side, the edges of lip 51 turned under and secured to garment piece 50 with stitching 54. The underside of stitching 54 is visible on the front side of garment piece 50, as shown in FIG. 5C. The top and bottom threads of stitching 54 may be the same or different colors.

FIGS. 5E-5F are diagrams showing how to connect garment 50, welt 15, reversible pocket pouch 45 and top and bottom extension pieces 60 and 61.

FIG. 5E is a back view of garment piece 50 showing reversible pocket pouch 45 placed thereon so that the straight portion of the perimeter of long pocket 40 is aligned with the edge of garment piece 50 that is to have a reversible inseam pocket. The straight portion of long pocket 40 is centered over the opening in the edge of garment piece 50 formed by the folding of lip 51. Welt 15 is placed over reversible pocket pouch 45 so that the unfinished edge of welt 15 is aligned with the straight portion of the perimeter of long pocket 40.

The short edges of welt 15 are invisibly attached to garment piece 50, such as by tiny whipstitches or other suitable method.

FIGS. 6A-6B are diagrams showing top and bottom extension pieces 60 and 61, which are corresponding triangular pieces respectively having a right triangle vertex opposing respective hypotenuse edges.

In some embodiments, extension pieces 60 and 61 may be pieces of a garment having a purpose other than to enclose the seam of the garment with a reversible inseam pocket.

In some embodiments, instead of having two extension pieces to enclose the seam, there may be one extension piece and the seam may be enclosed by stitching similar to the curved edges of pockets 30 and 40.

FIG. 5F is a back view of garment piece 50 showing the hypotenuse edges of extension pieces 60 and 61 aligned with the edge of garment piece 50 that is to have a reversible inseam pocket. Extension pieces 60 and 61 are placed with right sides facing inward. Stitching forms seam 56 along the edge of garment piece 50 fastens the stack of pieces comprising top extension piece 60, welt 15, reversible pocket pouch 45, garment piece 50 and bottom extension piece 61, such that the folded edge of lip 51 is free of the stitching and not part of the edge of seam 56.

FIGS. 5G-5J are diagrams of a garment with a reversible pocket pouch on one side and on the reverse side.

FIGS. 5G and 5H show extension pieces 60 and 61 folded back along seam 56, such that the wrong sides of extension pieces 60 and 61 are together.

FIG. 5H is a front view of garment piece 50 on the outside of the garment showing that opening 55 in seam 56 provides access to reversible pocket pouch 45. A shaded arrow in FIG. 5H indicates opening 55. The hypotenuse of extension piece 61 is along opening 55.

FIG. 5G is a rear view of garment piece 50 on the inside of the garment showing reversible pocket pouch 45, with short pocket 30 (not visible) against garment piece 50. The hypotenuse of extension piece 60 is continuously attached by seam 56 to the combination of garment piece 50, the straight portion of long pocket 40 and welt 15.

To reverse the garment, reversible pocket pouch 45 is pulled through opening 55 in seam 56, and short pocket 30 is turned to the other side of long pocket 40.

After reversal, FIG. 5J is a back view of garment piece 50, which is now on the outside of the garment. An opening between the long edge of welt 15 opposite seam 56 and lip 51 secured to garment piece 50 enables access to opening 55 in seam 56, and thence to reversible pocket pouch 45. A shaded arrow in FIG. 5J indicates the opening between welt 15 and lip 51. PATENT

FIG. 5K is a front view of garment piece 50, which is now on the inside of the garment, showing reversible pocket pouch 45, with short pocket 30 (not visible) against garment piece 50.

Although an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications thereof, have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise embodiment and the described modifications, and that various changes and further modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A reversible item, comprising: a main piece, an extension piece coupled to the main piece by a seam with an opening between the main piece and the extension piece, and a reversible pocket coupled to the seam, wherein when the item is reversed, the reversible pocket is pulled through the opening in the seam.
 2. The item of claim 1, wherein the main piece has a lip at the opening.
 3. The item of claim 1, wherein the reversible pocket has a pouch that is turned inside out when the item is reversed so that the pouch is accessible from the outside of the item.
 4. The item of claim 1, wherein the reversible pocket pouch has an enclosed seam.
 5. The item of claim 1, further comprising a welt coupled to the seam for serving as a cover for the opening.
 6. The item of claim 1, further comprising a mirror extension piece also coupled to the seam, for enclosing the seam.
 7. A reversible garment, comprising: a main piece, an extension piece coupled to the main piece by a seam with an opening between the main piece and the extension piece, and a reversible pocket coupled to the seam, wherein when the garment is reversed, the reversible pocket is pulled through the opening in the seam.
 8. A reversible pocket, comprising: a short pocket having a perimeter with a curved portion and a straight portion, a long pocket having a perimeter with a curved portion, a straight portion and extensions along the curved portion that form vertices with the straight portion, the straight portion for coupling to an item having the reversible pocket, and an enclosed seam coupling the curved portions of the short pocket and the long pocket to form a reversible pocket pouch.
 9. The reversible pocket of claim 8, further comprising a band coupled to the straight portion of the short pocket for enclosing the edge of the straight portion of the short pocket. 